


Homesick

by hellhoundtheory



Series: A Makorra Christmas [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Christmas, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-18
Updated: 2013-07-18
Packaged: 2017-12-20 15:06:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/888669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellhoundtheory/pseuds/hellhoundtheory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mako tries to cure Korra's homesickness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homesick

Korra curled into Naga’s side. She was technically supposed to be in her bed in the Air Temple, but it was too warm, too much like the summers she had known in the South Pole. Christmas shouldn’t be warm, so she and Naga took their rest on the cliff of the island, huddled into each other, both homesick and guilty.

She shouldn’t be homesick. It’s not like the Avatar was technically supposed to have a home, yet she felt like something was missing from her Christmas this year, something fundamental. Guilt, however, came in a different form. Whenever she was with Mako, she was supposed to be making Christmas in her new home. Korra couldn’t help but miss her parents, even her teachers at the compound, who always strived to make Christmas her favorite time of the year.

Sighing, the wayward Avatar wrapped her coat around herself, more out of discomfort than cold. 

“Korra?” Mako’s quiet voice came from behind her, as if not to wake her. She debated playing asleep, and decided to do so. Quickly, she tried to slow her heart rate and even out her breathing, closing her eyes as his footsteps came closer.

She could almost imagine him smiling softly at her, unaware of why she slumbered outside, but trying not to portray worry. Guilt coiled in her gut, and Korra pretended to wake up, because Mako not having to worry about her had somewhere, down the line, become one of her main priorities.

“What are you…?” Korra played confused, and Mako shyly smiled at her, putting a piece of her loose hair behind her ear.

“Just don’t want you to freeze; I was worried.” Korra’s stomach clenched, and she got defensive.

“You don’t have to worry about me, I’m from the South Pole, remember?” Mako chuckled, taking a seat next to her and admiring the view of the city they had saved.

“That doesn’t make you immune to those human things, like, for example, hypothermia.” He wrapped his arm around Korra, “Or falling off the cliff in your sleep. Also dangerous.” Mako was trying to be endearing, but it was annoying Korra to no end.

“Look, you aren’t my keeper, I can handle myself. Avatar, remember?” Korra sighed at having to remind him. It made her love Mako more than anything that he didn’t think of her as the Avatar, but being babied wasn’t exactly on her wish list.

“Alright, alright. Well, Miss Avatar, would you like to let this lowly human know what’s on your mind or are you just going to keep it bottled up?” Mako was clearly frustrated, but to his credit, he didn’t let his voice rise in volume. Somehow, dealing with the fiery Avatar on a daily basis had dampened the flame of explosive anger within him.

He wasn’t exactly being mature, but neither was Korra. After a huge effort of separating her pride from her feelings, she told him that, “I feel homesick. Last year my mind was at least occupied enough to keep me from missing home, but now…” Korra trailed off, unsure of where to go.

“What did you miss about it?” Mako prompted, pulling his girlfriend closer.

“How I had to bundle up at night, how Naga would sleep in my bed when she was little, how the ice would cake over our house and my dad and I would go outside and scrape it off while my mother made us tea. How I’d get to go home from the compound and have a second Christmas after an already great one from my teachers. Ice skating, penguin sledding with Master Katara, my mother always trying to teach me how to cook, no matter how helpless I seemed to be at it.” Mako and Korra were both smiling.

“What were your Christmases like before… if you don’t mind me asking?” Korra prodded, hoping to break some of his cool exterior.

“I’ll tell you on the way,” Mako promised enigmatically, pulling them both onto Naga, leading for once.

“On the way to where?” Korra asked, elated and surprised at the turn of events.

“You’ll see.” While Korra would normally be determined to unwind all of his secrets, she decided that she liked the spontaneity the firebender was displaying. It was a new side of Mako she hadn’t seen before.

Before Korra knew it they were at a pond she hadn’t known to exist on the island. However, it was frozen over.

“What are you doing?” Korra giggled, almost out of breath with curiosity as Mako offered her a hand off Naga.

“Well, I’m not really sure what penguin sledding is, so _we_ N are going to ice skate.” The firebender seemed very determined for this plan to work, so Korra went along with it.

“How, exactly, are we going to ice skate without skates?” Korra didn’t mean to burst Mako’s bubble, but the lack of planning made the entire endeavor seem somewhat moot, though she appreciated the sentiment.

Mako shrugged, “Bo and I used to just slide, but if you care that much, you’re a water bender. Bend yourself some.” And with that Mako took off across the pond. Korra thought that this was just as much of an escape into childhood as it was for her, and slid off after him.

The childish grins on both their faces were enough to make them both quietly contented, as they linked arms and skated around the pond in circles, moving together.

“You know, a girl could get used to this,” Korra remarked after a while of comfortable silence.

“Maybe we could make some new winter traditions,” Mako agreed, glad that he could alleviate some of her homesickness.

“I’d like that,” Korra grinned, stopping Mako for a moment, “Thank you,” She leaned up to kiss him, winding her hands in his scarf, wishing she could freeze that moment forever.


End file.
